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From: jerrys@mobby.umiacs.umd.edu (Jerry Sobieski)
Newsgroups: rec.skydiving
Subject: Re: Looking for recommendation.
Message-ID: <32669@mimsy.umd.edu>
Date: 9 Apr 91 00:04:54 GMT
References: <6107@male.EBay.Sun.COM>
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Reply-To: jerrys@umiacs.umd.edu (Jerry Sobieski)
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In article <6107@male.EBay.Sun.COM> nouveaux@poipu.EBay.Sun.COM (John J. Nouveaux, Sun Microsystems Education) writes:
>Friends,
>
>I'm posting this for my wife.
>
>Anyone know the names of any skydiving literate attorneys (preferrably
>in the San Francisco Bay Area)?
>
>My wife was injured on her first jump last summer at a non-USPA school
>which uses (in our and a former instructor friend of mine opinions)
>several unsafe practices for first-jumpers (including not following
>several of USPA's regulations/recommendations).
>
>Having been a jumper myself (back in the summer of '78 under Perry
>Stevens [Mr. Safety] at Antioch CA), I have a concern not only for the
>safety of future students at this place (to remain nameless here) but
>also for the reputation of the sport.
>
>Thanks for any leads/assistance.
>
>john
>--
John:

I do not know of any attorney's in the Bay Area (nor am I one myself).  
But I would be appreciative
if you could email me or post more info on the situation resulting in your
wife's injuries.  I have been instructing and jumpmastering for 10 years 
and try to stay in touch with student training and problems that come up.

Perhaps some questions:

1. How do you know this DZ was not a USPA affiliate?  Were you or she aware of
   this before making the jump?  

2. How do you know the student training curriculum did not follow
   USPA doctrine? Specificly, what was it that was non-standard?  Which
   training program was she in? (E.g. Static line, AFF, Tandem, etc.)

3. What was the nature of your wife's injury? (e.g. a sprained ankle or
   fractured vertebra?)

4. How did it occur?  What was the JM's log entry in her logbook?

5. What was the response of the DZ upon learning a student had been injured?

6. How long has it been since your wife was injured?  How long prior to 
   that since your previous jump?  What is your experience level?

7. Did the DZ have your wife sign any waivers or "informed consent" releases
   prior to training?

I guess a lot of the info I am curious about is the DZ - was it a big/small
operation, what type of aircraft, how long in operation, etc.  What was your 
criteria for selecting that DZ over others in the vicinity? 

Thanks for any info.
Jerry
D-7644

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